Thank you @penguinteen for the gifted eARC of WHEN THE WORLD TIPS OVER!

I absolutely adored Jandy Nelson’s previous book I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN so I jumped at the chance to read an eARC of her newest book.

I loved her take on Cain and Abel and history repeating itself down a family line. It was fascinating and heartbreaking, especially when you realize the root of the split between Wyntyn and Miles Fall.
My favorite thing about Nelson’s books is how she weaves in threads of magical realism but makes them so fun that you absolutely want to believe the Dizzy Fall can see mute ghosts, that Wyntyn Fall is haunted by his missing father’s trumpet music, and that Miles Fall can speak mind to mind with all the dogs in town.

She also perfectly captures how messy and full of emotions/angst teenagers are (and also makes me so glad I’ll never be a teen again!).

I do wish this book was about 100 pages shorter though. There were parts of the story that dragged and I kept wanting her to get to the good stuff already.

If you’re a fan of YA, I would still recommend picking this one up!

WHEN THE WORLD TIPS OVER is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6855910461
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I was thrilled to get access to an early copy of When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson. I’ll Give You the Sun is one of my all-time favorite YA novels, and my expectations going in were pretty high. Maybe that’s why they were not met? The TLDR: this book was so overlong that it started to make me resentful towards the MANY characters and their increasingly repetitive inner monologue. Additionally, the structure of the narrative was not organized in a way that made it seamless to remember the complex connections of all these family members. Threads were dropped to hastily get picked up again a hundred pages later.
Upon first blush, I will say that was enjoying the very lovable and idiosyncratic characters that Nelson writes so well. Then the storyline, which included a little magical realism, pulled me in and I thought I was going to get a little bit of a mix between Rabbit Cake and Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance. And I would say that if that appeals, you might enjoy this book with the aforementioned caveats.
There was still lovely writing, and I did enjoy the plot threads coming together in the end. It will certainly not be the last Jandy Nelson book I read!

Great book! Magical and fantastical while also being completely and heartbreakingly real. I loved the characters and the magical elements, the setting was great and the whole thing just radiated. I wish there was a little more but at the same time if I had one criticism some parts did feel like they went on too long.

1 Sentence Summary: The Fall siblings—Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton—haven’t been the same since their father disappeared years ago, until one day a mysterious rainbow-haired girl appears and upends everything they thought they knew about their lives.

My Thoughts: This was absolutely incredible!!! The prose was lovely, the story was compelling, and I fell in love with the characters immediately. They were flawed and three dimensional and each had their own struggles to deal with, and their interactions and relationships with each other were so complex and nuanced.

I really loved the format of the book, with all of the POV switches and the flashbacks between past and present and the extra little tidbits like newspaper clippings and journal entries that were included. All of the stories within the story worked so well and made the overall novel much more layered and interesting. I also really appreciated getting to see the perspectives of each of the Fall siblings and how differently they would view the same situation. Everyone has something they’re struggling with, and you don’t know what other people are going through.

The emotion was so well written, and the setting and atmosphere really added to it. I did tear up a few times while reading. There was a theme throughout of tragedy, of family curses, of destruction, yet there was also an undercurrent of hope and connection and new beginnings.

Jandy Nelson is such a talented writer, and is especially good at writing complex and compelling family dynamics. This novel is part family drama, part tragic love story, part mystery, and part magical realism. The way everything came together at the end was shocking (I gasped out loud at one of the reveals) and was absolute perfection.

AND I LOVED THE MAGICAL REALISM ELEMENTS!!!!!

Recommend to: Fans of family curses, multi-layered stories, secrets, magical realism, siblings finding their way back to each other, and strange (almost enchanted) towns.

(Warnings: swearing; sexual content; alcoholism/drug use; rape; child abandonment; mentions of death)

This is a beautiful story from a very talented writer. It's been ten years Nelson's last book was published (I LOVED I'll Give You The Sun!) and I was thrilled to hear that another book was in the works. This multi-POV YA novel follows three siblings, their mother, and an enigmatic rainbow-girl who shows up unexpectedly. It also weaves in historical narratives from generations past. All of this to say, there's a LOT going on in this book. Ultimately it weaves together a lovely, complex, and moving account of the Fall family. The story is objectively a five-star read. Personally, I struggled to get through all the switching narrators and wanted more from the ending.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers/Dial Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley.

3.5 stars

It’s 2024 and I’m crying over a Jandy Nelson book. Who would’ve thought? I remember hearing about this book back in 2019? Perhaps 2020? And never did my past self imagine that I'd get approved for an ARC of it!

<I>When the World Tips Over</i> follows the three Fall siblings who live deep in Northern California wine country and are haunted by the long ago disappearance of their father. There's 12-year-old Dizzy who sees spirits and bakes cakes. Perfect Miles, genius, athlete, and overlooked. And Wynton, the eldest son and biggest disappointment. These three have their worlds tipped over with the appearance of a mysterious rainbow-haired girl who seems to know a little too much about each of them.

This story is a true Nelson classic, filled with magic and complex characters and fun family dynamics. There was an unexpected magical realism element to this story – very reminiscent of <i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i> which seems to be a clear inspiration – that adds another layer of whimsy to the whole story. I was honestly overwhelmed at first by all the talk of ghosts and curses and family lore, but it hooked me in pretty quickly, and I was deeply invested in the stories upon stories into stories wrapped up in this novel.

My only complaints are that the pacing felt a bit disjointed with all the timeline shifts. I do think the format of this novel is very creative and also necessary for how the story itself unfolds, but I do think it could have felt a bit more seamless. I also wasn't the most satisfied with the ending, a little too many threads left loose for my preference but I'm sure others will love it!

Overall: I recommend to any Jandy Nelson fans who've been missing her signature style all these years and those searching for something that'll surprise them time and time again. This book is not what you'll expect it to be but it's certainly something wondrous! Excited to see what she'll come up with next.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Books for the digital ARC of this book!

4.5/5 stars

Warning: although I usually try to make my reviews spoiler-free, this one does contain some minor spoilers for When the World Tips Over.

The best word I can use to describe When the World Tips Over is electric. The story pulled me in from the very first page and did not let me go until I had read every last word. While there are some flaws with the overall plotting of the book, it is hard to deny that I loved every minute of the whirlwind adventure this book took me on.

We begin with the Fall siblings. Dizzy is twelve years old, and has just gone through her first friend breakup. She is dealing with bullying at school, and tensions at home between her mother and her favorite brother Wynton, who her mom kicked out of the house. And she can see ghosts. Miles is glowing (literally), he is one of the most popular people in school, and seemingly the perfect child. But his only real friend is a dog he can talk to, who also happens to be the only being that knows Miles is gay. Wynton is an exceptional musician, who has to wear sunglasses whenever he plays to hide the fact that he is crying. The three siblings have been in disrepair ever since their father left over a decade ago, but a new person is about to turn all of their lives upside down.

There are truly so many positive things to say about this book. I love the distinct voices of the Fall siblings. Nelson perfectly crafted the voices and struggles of a twelve, seventeen, and nineteen year old. Each of those stages of life carries a certain kind of despair and a search for the self, which I thought was wonderfully portrayed. I love genre-bending that comes from blending contemporary fiction, magical realism, mystery, and history all in one. I adore all the talk of food, which is a special relationship shared between Dizzy and her mother. And there were so many funny moments, while simultaneously the book was unable to shy away from delving into serious topics like death, grief, and religion.

These nebulous aspects remain a constant throughout the book, and are the pieces which lead to me devouring it in just a few days. However, after the love affair was over, there were a few things which didn't quite sit right with me in terms of the plot. The first third of the book is, in my opinion, perfect. We get introduced to Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton individually, while also getting the chance to see each of their meetings with the rainbow-haired girl.

Diving into some of our minor spoilers: about a third of the way through the book, Wynton gets in an accident, and is in a coma for most of the rest of the book. While we still have chapters from his point of view in the coma, they are much more abstract, so we don't get to know his character as much as we do the others. It is disappointing because we get really conflicting accounts of Wynton from the people around him, so I really would have appreciated the chance to get to know him more from himself.

Especially when I am in a larger-than-life story that also engages magical realism, there are some things I will easily forgive. For example, I usually don't like love-at-first-sight, but it was overall used well as a device in this book, and thus didn't bother me too much. But while I do love me some magical realism as well as ambiguity in my books, there was a little bit too much ambiguity as to what was magical and actually happening and what was exaggerated.

And then there is the thing that really scratches my brain. All of the adults in this book have made some pretty large mistakes. This in and of itself is not bad; making mistakes is a pretty human thing to do, and the adults shouldn't be portrayed as perfect. However, I feel like the narrative doesn't spend enough time reckoning with those mistakes. Having flawed and three-dimensional characters is necessary, but I also want character development and maybe a few discussions with their kids about the mistakes they have made before they become a big happy family. Because of the lack of this, it made the ending feel a bit disingenuous.

However, there are so many good things going on in this book that I don't think that should dissuade anyone from reading it. When a book gives me the emotional roller coaster the way this one did, it tends to win me over. Because what I want as a reader is to be sucked into the lives of the characters and go on an adventure with them, and that is exactly what happens in When the World Tips Over.

When the World Tips Over is doing a lot - we get many perspectives, we get a story within the story - and it may have been too much for me. There were certainly aspects I enjoyed, like Jandy Nelson has a really punchy way of writing, which is fun to read. But this book was incredibly dramatic. It seems like it's meant to feel heartwarming, but I just felt the heaviness of it all.

This was a book filled with so much: magical realism, love, loss, abandonment, sadness, happiness, and more. There were points while reading where I thought this was just plain bizarre, but I made myself refocus and keep going. I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be a beautiful story for so many characters. I was ready for it to end, but wasn’t ready at the same time. I do feel like there were some loose ends I would have liked to be tied up, but I also enjoy imagining my own endings. Pretty good read if you can suspend reality a bit!

There was A LOT to this book. In fact I will share a secret... There is a family tree at the back of the book. However and that is a big HOWEVER, it is a spoiler... There is a part in the book detailing a bit of the family history that I kinda checked out. I really did enjoy this book and read by audio through Libby and the E-ARC through Netgalley. I am very glad I was able to get the ARC. This is a book where the cover pulls you in for a good reason. It reminds me of the whole family. The narration is a full cast of characters that you will fully appreciate and love. I re-read so much of this book because I didn't want it to end and because it was that good.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

Review:

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is a beautifully crafted and deeply emotional story that swept me up from the very first page. Nelson’s lyrical writing style shines through, delivering vivid imagery and poignant moments that make the characters feel alive. The story explores themes of loss, love, and healing in a way that feels both raw and authentic.

The characters are wonderfully flawed and complex, each struggling with their own inner turmoil as their lives intertwine. I especially appreciated the way Nelson handles the emotional weight of the narrative, allowing room for both sorrow and hope. There’s a sense of magic in how the characters’ personal journeys unfold, and I found myself fully invested in their growth.

While the book is beautifully written, there were moments where the pacing slowed, making it a little difficult to stay engaged at times. However, the emotional depth and the power of the story kept me turning the pages.

Overall, When the World Tips Over is a heartfelt and evocative read that will stay with you long after the final page. Fans of Jandy Nelson’s previous works won’t be disappointed, and newcomers will find much to love in this novel’s tender exploration of human connection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Perhaps I was in the wrong mindset to read this book, but to me, this book felt like it was all over the place and the characters were hard to keep track of. I was dissappointed as this was one of the books I was looking forward to most in the fall of 2024. I will try this book again at a later date and see if it sparks my interest. It could just very well be that it didn't work for me as I was slightly older than the intended audience for this novel. I also don't think the book was awful...it just wasn't as good as I was expecting.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Children for the eARC.

What a unique heartbreaking book. I loved all of the POVs, I loved each of these characters and was so engrossed the entire time. Dizzy’s internal monologue may be the best of all time. What a book.

FIVE STARS
Ok wow this book. It started slow and ended up taking me a while to get through. The pace slowed and then would pick up. It was really interesting the way it was told. There were multiple POVs and one person who connected them all together.
I really just sort of fell in love with it and want to re-read asap.

When the World Tips Over is a young adult contemporary novel about siblings grappling with connection and acceptance, with elements of magical realism woven throughout.

Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton Fall are still dealing with the abandonment of their father, Leo, more than a decade earlier. Meanwhile, a young girl named Cassidy has been growing up on the backroads of California, traveling in a yellow RV called “Sadie Mae” with her free-spirited mother. As she enters her teen years, the challenges of being out of school, isolated from peers, and dealing with her mother’s mental health begin to weigh on her. She longs for stability and a true home. When Cassidy crosses paths with each of the Fall siblings, she brings them together in unexpected ways, becoming a catalyst for revealing long-held secrets.

When the World Tips Over explores a family cursed over generations by animosity between brothers, secrets, and betrayal. Yet, at its core, it is also about the deep love within families and how the universe can unexpectedly bring people together. I love Jandy Nelson’s writing—the depth and beauty of her characters truly shine through.

3.5 stars:

I loved “I’ll give you the Sun” and so was excited to be able to read the Advanced Reader copy of “ When the World Tips Over”. While this is billed as YA – it may be too heavy for a YA reader but I think 17/18 and up would be fine. While the book is a little chaotic- I did love the magical realism and the characters. It is a little long and the first half went a little slower than the 2nd half. Even with all that- I would read anything that Jandy Nelson writes. Thank you to Dial/Penguin Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you so so much to Penguin Teen / Dial Books for the arc, this book is now out!
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A tender and lovingly given 5 stars. This book was magical. I have memories of reading parts of I'll Give You The Sun back in late middle school and having really enjoyed it and overall with Gen Z I feel as Jandy Nelson's work particularly IGYTS was really important to those of us who grew up chronically online. This book will be no different to those same people should they pick it up as well as the young adults of today. At the beginning I struggled to really sink my teeth into the story but overtime in the most gentle manner these characters and their story really started to creep on me. I was a bit confused at first but the payoff was so so worth it. This story is so incredibly special and singular but also relatable to the overall human condition and how challenging it can be to be yourself, to show that you love your family in challenging situations etc etc. The characters were all so real to me and I feel as though every person who picks this up will find themselves in one if not multiple of the characters. How lucky are we to have such talented minds like Nelson that create such wonderful stories. I am just so over the moon about this one and I really hope it makes it into the hands of young adults who I know this will be a life raft for. This book and it's story for all the messy parts of life and how all in all there is beauty and love to be found.

As much as I loved, with all my heart, Nelson’s previous book I’ll Give You the Sun, this new one, after a ten year wait, was disappointing. Yes, it had the beautiful writing, the magical realism, compelling and wonderful characters, but geez, the plot meandered all over the place. It felt like there were multiple books in this one book, and it was at least 150 pages too long. It ended up being a slog, even tho the ending was beautiful.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Not entirely sure how to say how this book made me feel… I had a range of emotions throughout this whole story!

The way all of the characters shined is something that stands out the most to me and the lengths they (Miles and Dizzy in particular) are willing to go literally for the sake of their family I found really touching.

I wish Marigold as a character would’ve had a more complete ending; while I understand why it wasn’t the case I (like Cassidy) would’ve preferred that for closure’s sake or to just understand Marigold’s perspective in her making that choice.

Wow. I don't think I realized how much I missed the quirky and emotional worlds of Jandy Nelson, but I did. I really did. The Fall family saga is a beautiful and delicate combination of heart and nuance. I would recommend this to anyone not just the demographic its directed towards. I might also have a bias because California is my home and I'm always in love with stories set there.